Rotatable display stand

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a display stand of the kind having a vertical post rotatably carried in the center of a supporting means, which preferably is provided with wheels. The stand is further provided with all elements which are easily applied and easily replaced on the post. The object of the invention is to provide such a stand that is stable although its different compartments are differently shaped for exposing different kinds of goods. This has been achieved by providing the wall elements with hooks for engagement with slots in the post and the wall elements are further adapted, when applied on the post, to be retained in a fixed angle position by means of holding means on the lower and/or upper short sides of the wall elements.

United States Patent Axhamre 1 1 Feb. 15, 1972 [54] ROTATABLE DISPLAY STAND [72] Inventor: Franc Lennart Axharnre, Savedalen,

Sweden [73] Assignee: Moderna Butiksenrednengar AB, Savedalen, Sweden [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1968 [21 1 Appl. No.: 780,823

3,004,814 10/1961 Schulze ..108/60 X 2,693,989 11/1954 Santanaet al... ..2l1/13l X 2,327,742 8/1943 Rosenberg ..21 1/131 2,158,085 5/1939 Porter ..l08/l05 X 2,118,444 5/1938 Mueller ..21 1/184 X 2,113,386 4/1938 Schneider 108/103 X 1,375,855 4/1921 OConnor... ..lO8/60 754,816 3/ 1904 Schriefer 108/ 1.09

500,839 7/1893 Anthony 108/94 383,551 5/1883 Barrows ..l08/105 Primary ExaminerBobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschencrenner Attorney-Leon M. Strauss [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention relates to a display stand of the kind having a vertical post rotatably carried in the center of a supporting means, which preferably is provided with wheels. The stand is further provided with all elements which are easily applied and easily replaced on the post. The object of the invention is to provide such a stand that is stable although its different compartments are difierently shaped for exposing different kinds of goods. This has been achieved by providing the wall elements with hooks for engagement with slots in the post and the wall elements are further adapted, when applied on the post, to be retained in a fixed angle position by means of holding means on the lower and/or upper short sides of the wall elements.

9 Claims, 24 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDFEB 15 m2 Bil 50 sum 2 0F 8 FRANZ L NN RT [\XHAMRE,

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FRANZ LENNART AXHAMRE I N VENTOR. smmwgil w Attorneys ROTATABLE DISPLAY STAND The present invention relates to a display stand which comprises a vertical post mounted for rotation in the center of a support means, the latter which is preferably provided with wheels, vertical wall elements being arranged which are easily replaceable with respect to said post.

Display stands of this kind are known, the wall elements of which are freely swingable about the central post so that they can be swung towards or away from each other. This has turned out to be a drawback in many respects. When shelf elements are to be arranged between the wall elements, this has to be carried out at all sections wall if the display stand is to be given sufficient stability. In case no shelf element should be arranged between two wall elements, these two wall elements may unintentionally be swung towards each other a distance such that the shelf elements in other sections are wrenched and disengage from each other.

Another drawback in freely swingable wall elements in a display stand is to be seen therein that there is no possibility to arrange, in a space shaped as a circle sector, long objects such as skis, fishing rods or the like which preferably are supported against any of the wall elements. The latter will give no support but only swing away.

The present invention has for its object to eliminate said drawbacks and to provide a display stand which is very easy to assemble and which at the same time has a stable and strong construction and which is suitable for exposing to view objects of the most different kinds. The main feature of the invention resides therein that the wall elements are provided with hooks for engagement in slots in the post, said elements after being arranged about the post are adapted to be retained in a fixed angle position by holding means at the lower and/or upper short sides of the wall elements. By means of this construction of the display stand it is possible to provide the same completely or partly, as desired, with shelf elements and thus to fit the display stand to the kind of objects to be exposed to view for the actual occasion.

According to one embodiment of the invention serving as holding elements for the wall elements at the upper end of the post are arms attached around the post, said arms being swingable in vertical direction and provided along their lower border with a slot, said arms being further adapted, after the application of the wall elements about the post, to be swung down onto said elements such that the wall elements with their upper edge engage the slot in the arm, the wall elements being prevented from swinging towards or away from each other. The arms may alternatively be attached to and project radially out from a cap applicable over the upper free end of the post.

According to another embodiment of the invention or in combination with the embodiment indicated here above a horizontal plate arranged between the supporting means and the wall elements serves as holding means for the wall elements, said plate being provided with grooves or the like extending radially out from the post, the wall elements adapted to be inserted into said grooves and are thereby prevented from swinging from the intended angle position on the plate.

The different embodiments of the invention give many a possibility to more or less modify the shape of the display stand which may be of great importance when it, for exposure purposes, is to attract desired customer attention.

At the application of the shelf elements between the wall elements problems may, however, arise in that the wall elements enclose an angle with each other. When a shelf element is to be hooked between two wall elements, it might damage the paint of the wall element. At the same time the wall elements must be bent apart to some extent if the shelf element shall be put in correct position at all. At a successive application of shelf elements around the display stand it then often happens that the last angle space between two wall elements has been reduced to such an extent that shelf elements no longer could be placed therein. The wall elements which at top and bottom are kept in a fixed mutual position will where the portions of the shelf elements are suspended be bent and this will spoil the appearance of the display stand.

Said problems have according to the invention been solved in that on the sides of neighboring wall elements turned towards each other there have been arranged brackets having hooks known per se and located in a vertical portion of the bracket, these hooks serving for the releasable application of the brackets and each brackets further comprising a horizontal portion for carrying a shelf element and provided with a hole at the outer end of the bracket, a pin or the like on the shelf element being adapted to engage said hole and a horizontal tongue arranged at the end opposing the hole, said tongue serving for engaging an inner portion of the shelf element. This tongue comprises preferably a portion struck out and bent in from the vertical portion.

It has further turned out that in certain cases it is not necessary to shape the wall elements intended for carrying the shelf elements an uninterrupted sides. For many kinds of goods it is required only that the shelf element be carried by a supporting means of any kind.

In order to render the construction cheaper one has according to the invention shaped the wall elements as brackets having hooks adapted to be inserted into slots in the post at the inner ends of the brackets and with a supporting part at the outer ends of the brackets for shelf elements to be arranged between the brackets, the shelf elements at their inner border portions being provided with hooks adapted to be inserted into the post.

The post does not necessarily have to be circular but could as well be shaped of a noncircular, e.g., square cross section. According to a modification of the invention the wall elements shaped as brackets can be attached projecting radially out from a sleeve having the same cross section as the post and be displaceable along the same, said cap resting, so as to be retained at the desired level, on hooks adapted to be releasably inserted in slots in the post.

According to a preferred embodiment the post may further be divided into separately turnable sections.

By shaping the display stand in any of the ways indicated in the aforegoing or a combination thereof it is possible to obtain the advantage that the exposed goods will be better visible and more easily available than previously.

Further modifications of the invention will be obvious from the following description of the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view of a first embodiment of the display stand according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the display stand on an enlarged scale with a modified embodiment of the upper holding means for the wall elements,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view on a still more enlarged scale of the upper holding means according to FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows a modification of a wall element,

FIG. 5 and 6 show portions of wall elements according to different embodiments,

FIGS. 7 and 8 show perspective views of other embodiments of the display stand,

FIGS. 9 and 10 are plan views of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, respectively,

FIG. 11 is a partly sectional view of a shelf element when arranged in accordance with one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 12 shows another shelf element according to the invention,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a bracket employable in the invention and shown on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 14 shows a section on the line IV-IV in FIG. 11,

FIG. 15 shows a section on the line V-V in FIG. 11 and also on an enlarged scale,

FIG. 16 shows on an enlarged scale and diagrammatically the inner portion of the shelf element shown in FIG. 11,

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the display stand according to the invention having only one shelf element taking the shape of a wire basket, this basket shown in mounted position,

FIG. 18 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a wire or basket when mounted on the post,

FIG. 19 shows a section on the line IIIIII in FIG. 18,

FIG. 20 shows a modification of the device according to the invention provided with four brackets fixed to a sleeve,

FIG. 21 shows on an enlarged scale the means for retaining the sleeve to the post, and

FIGS. 22-24 show different views of an alternative to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 7-10.

The display stand according to'the invention comprises supporting means which in the embodiments shown in the drawings comprises two crossing supporting arms 1 known per se, wheels 2 being arranged at the free ends of said arms 1. Mounted for rotation on a vertical trunnion 3 in the center of the supporting means 1 is avertical post preferably taking the shape of a tube 4. This central tube 4 is provided with elongated openings or slots 5 arranged in groups in the longitudinal direction of the tube 4.

The display stand according to the invention also comprises wall elements 6 which comprise sheets 6a, 6b or frames 6c (FIG. 4) provided with circular, elongated, square or otherwise shaped holes 7. The wall elements 6 are provided along one longitudinal side provided with punched hooks 8 adapted to be brought into engagement with the slots 5 in the central tube 4 and by means of which the wall elements can be retained at said tube.

Attachment plates 9 (FIG. 1) are according to one embodiment arranged with determined angle distances from each other at the upper end of the tube around the latter for retaining the vertical wall elements 6, these plates 9 being in turn attached to vertically swingable arms 10. These arms 10 which along their underfaces are provided with grooves or U-shaped slots 11 (see FIG. 3) are adapted, when the wall elements 6 are applied around the central tube, to be swung onto said wall elements such that the latter with their upper edges engage the slots in the anns, the wall elements thereby being prevented from changing their mutual angle distance.

According to a modification of this embodiment the attachment plates 9 and the arms 10 may as shown in e.g., FIG. 3 be attached to and project radially from a cap-shaped sleeve 12 which is adapted to be applied over the upper end of the central tube 4. The cap 12 is prevented from being turned on the end of the central tube 4 by means of a key 13 adapted, at the application of the cap on the central tube, to engage a vertical groove 14 in the upper end of the tube.

The shown and described embodiments render possible a very simple and quick mounting of the display stand according to the invention. If the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the arms 10 is carried into effect it should above all be that these arms are in folded-up position, i.e., are in vertical position at the mounting of the central tube 4 on the supporting means 1. The intended number of wall elements 6 are thereafter hooked onto the central tube 4 and the arms 10 are swung down and pressed firmly onto the upper border or edge of the wall element. Separate hooks may then be hooked into the holds 7 of the wall elements of shelf elements 15 be attached in the angle spaces formed between the wall elements in accordance with the kind of goods to be exposed.

The embodiment shown, e.g., in FIG. 3 of the arms 10 gives the advantage that at one and the same display stand one can use several caps 12 with different number of arms 10 or different angle distances between the arms. In one case it might be suitable with regard to the goods exposed to apply three wall elements 6 on the central tube 4 with a mutual distance of 120, in another case to arrange two wall elements at an angle distance of 180 between them while there may be required between two other wall elements an angle distance of, e.g., 45".

In FIGS. 7-10 there are shown embodiments which constitute a modified solution of the problem forming the basis for the present invention. Arranged above the supporting means 1 is a plate 16 which is turnable together with the central tube 4 and which is provided with grooves 17 or the like extending radially outwards from the tube, the wall elements 6 being adapted to be inserted into said grooves 17. When the desired number of wall elements have been hooked into the central tube 4 and been arranged in correct positions in their grooves 17 in question, they are retained in the intended angle positions. The display stand is then ready for use. However, it is then possible, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to stabilize the wall elements further by putting the cap 12 over the tube end and swing the arms 10 down over the upper edge or border of the wall element. If desired, shelf elements 15 may thereupon be arranged between the wall elements for supporting small goods to be exposed.

In one embodiment which is simplified with regard to the bottom plate, the latter comprises preferably plate sections 42 taking the shape of circle sectors (cf. FIGS. 22-24) each section 42 is at one of its outer corners provided with a pin 45 adapted to be inserted into a slot 43 in a wall element and provided with a head 44. The plate section 42 is at its opposite corner provided with a slot 46 in a border flange 47 directed essentially perpendicularly to the plane of the plate section. This border flange 47 could at the slot 46 be inserted between a wall element 6 and the head 44 of the pin 45 of the neighboring plate section 42. Each plate section 42 is further at this border adapted to be inserted between horizontal plates 48 or the like on the post 30 to be prevented from tilting.

In this embodiment the wall elements 6 are first mounted on the post 30. The plate sections 42 are then put into position in each their section about the display stand. Thus, the wall elements 6 will with their lower borders be situated in the interspaces between the plate sections 42 and these interspaces will in this case have the same functions as the grooves 17 in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7-10.

The different embodiments of the invention are very practical in that the wall elements in the shortest possible time can be replaced by other ones, e.g., a sheet 60 may be replaced by a frame 60 or a sheet having one kind of perforation be replaced by a sheet having another perforation and at the same time the display stand will have a very stable construction. The plate 16 may as shown in FIG. 8 also serve as a supporting surface for long and narrow goods such as skis.

In order to facilitate the application of the shelf elements between the wall elements 6 the display stand according to the invention comprises a bracket 18 having a vertical portion 19 and a horizontal portion 20. The vertical portion 19 has its ends bent and is shaped, in a way known per se, with hooks 21 and notches 22 such that the bracket 18 may be suspended in a preferably elongated hole 7 in the wall elements 6.

The horizontal portion 20 of the bracket 18 for carlying a shelf element which may comprise, e.g., a solid disk 15 (FIG. 11) or a basket 23 of metal threads (FIG. 12), is at a distance from its outer end provided with a hole 24, a screw 25, a pin 26 or the like on the shelf element 15 or 23, respectively, adapted to engage therein. At the end of the bracket 18 opposed to the hole 24 there is arranged a tongue 27 for retaining the inner portion of the shelf element 15 or 23, respectively. This tongue 27 is preferably bent inwards from the vertical portion 19.

At the mounting of a shelf element in the shape of a basket 23 of metal threads, the inner border portion of the basket is inserted on each side in an interspace between the horizontal portion 20 and the tongue 27 of the bracket in question, and then the pin 26 at each outer corner portion of the basket is moved down into the hole 24 of the bracket in question. This mounting can be performed very easily without any risk that the wall element 6 be scratched or bent apart. The tongues 27 prevent the inner portion of the basket 23 at loading of the outer border of the basket from swinging upwards and the pins 26 in the holes 24 prevent the basket from sliding outwards, e.g., at a quick rotation of the display stand.

The shelf element comprising a solid disk (FIG. 16) 15 is preferably provided with notches 28 in the side borders of the disk. These borders are situated such that at the mounting of the disk on two brackets 18 the tongues on the latter will engage the notches 28. The screw 25 (FIG. 15) corresponding to the pin 26 (FIGS. 12, 13, 15) is, from below, screwed half in to each outer comer portion of the disk 15 and is then inserted down through the hole 24 into the bracket 18 in question. The diameter of the head 29 of the screw 25 is preferably only slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 24. Should anybody unintentionally push the disk 15 from below, the screwhead 29 will most probably hit the border of the hole 24 and the disk will thereby be prevented from swinging up from the brackets 18.

The bracket 18 according to the invention preferably has such a length that it can be hooked into the innermost and outermost holes 7 in a row of holes in the wall element 6. The mounting of a shelf element is thereby facilitated.

In the embodiments of the display stand shown in FIGS. 17-21 there has been chosen a post 30 having a square cross section. The wall elements shown as brackets 31 could by means of hooks 32 at their inner ends be applied to slots 33 in the longitudinal borders of the post. The shelf element which is represented by a basket 34 of metal threads, is also in this embodiment at its border portion provided with hooks 35 by means of which the basket is suspended in other similar slots 36 in the sides of the post 30. The outer portion of the basket rests on supporting portions 37 at the outer end of the brackets 31.

The embodiment described in the aforegoing renders possible to quickly and comfortably mount the display stand. So as to further simplify the mounting one may as shown in FIG. 20 attach, preferably weld, e.g., four brackets 31 to a sleeve 38 which like the post 30 has a square cross section and is displaceable along the same. To be retained at the desired level the sleeve 38 rests on hooks 39 which are releasably arranged in the slots 36 of the post 30 (FIG. 21). In this embodiment there is used as a shelf element preferably the wire basket 23 as depicted in FIG. 18, said basket being applied between two brackets 31 by being pushed with its inner border portion between two horizontal plates 40 attached to the sleeve 38 (FIG. 20) and then its pins 26 may be brought down into holes in the supporting portions 37 and the shelf element is thereby prevented from sliding radially out from the post 30.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 of the display stand according to the invention, the post 30 is divided into several sections 30a, 30b, 30c which are interconnected via carrying means 41 of any known construction. The different sections may thereby be turned individually in opposite directions.

The invention has been described in arms aforegoing for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims. Thus, many a modification is possible within the invention and, e.g., the attachment ends of the arms 10 at the central tube 4 of the cap 12 may be displaceable in a peripheral groove in the upper end of the tube or the cap. By means of a latch of any known construction, the arms 10 could further be fixed in any angle position and the adjustment possibilities of the display stand is thereby further increased.

Instead of the pin 26 or the screw 25 engaging the hole 24 in the horizontal portion 20 of the bracket 18, said portion may for preventing a sliding outwards of the shelf element in radial direction, e.g., at its outer end be provided with a border bent in upward direction. The tongue 27 may further be shaped at the horizontal portion 20 of the bracket 18 instead of, as shown, being a part of the vertical portion 19.

What I claim is:

l, A rotary display device having a vertical tube body centrally carried on a wheelbase support and having upright partition elements secured thereto; the improvement comprising first holding means constituting radially directed space recesses in the surface of said base support, second holding means located near the upper end of said tube body, and attachment means disposed at predetermined angles to each other and including sleeve means structured for slidable and adjustable engagement with said tube body, said second holding means forming swingable arms each provided at the underface thereof with a profile, which is of inverted U-shape in cross section to facilitate engagement in operative position with the upper end edges of predetermined upright elements and the opposed lower end edges of said elements with said support recesses, respectively, thus ensuring firm position of said upright elements, each of said arms being swingably coupled with said sleeve means and depending from the latter in inoperative position along said tube body.

2. A display device according to claim 1, said upright elements being perforated, substantially angular-shaped bracket means applied to perforations of said elements and arranged in face to face relation to each other, a shelf member for attachment to said bracket means, said bracket means being each provided with a horizontally extending portion for engaging said shelf member and an upright portion provided with horizontally directed tongue means extending above and parallel to said horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having an opening for the insertion of a fastener provided on said shelf member, said tongue means being arranged at an end of said upright portion of said bracket means remote from said opening and being engageable with said shelf member.

3. A display device according to claim 2, wherein said shelf member is provided with edges having slot means insertable into said tongue means of two adjacent bracket means.

4. A display device according to claim 2, wherein said shelf member is of the basket type, said fastener being pin means projecting from the underface of said basket means for engaging said openings of the horizontal portions of said two adjacent bracket means, respectively.

5. A display device having a wheeled support comprising an upright post consisting of one or more sleeve elements each provided with rows of perforations, spaced apart partition means each forming an upright element provided with hook means at one end thereof and with supporting portions near the other end of said partition means, shelf means located within the space between two adjacent partition means and engaging said supporting portions, and means provided on said shelf means and engageable with predetermined perforations of one of said sleeve elements, said hook means of said upright elements being engageable with other perforations of said sleeve elements for securement thereto.

6. A display device according to claim 5, wherein said rows of perforations of said sleeve elements are grouped around the circumference of the latter, said partition means being applicable to said sleeve elements, and separable fastening means connecting said partition means with said sleeve elements through said perforations.

7. A display device according to claim 20, including hook means interconnecting one end of each of said elements through predetermined perforations of said post and for removal therefrom, plate sections horizontally affixed to and located between said partition elements, and supporting means connected to another end of each of said elements for locating and securing said plate sections in their horizontal positions.

8. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the improvement comprises shelf members, brackets serving as partition elements and provided with first hooks which are insertable into predetermined slots provided in said tube body, said first hooks being situated at the inner end of the brackets, references supporting portions located at the outer end of each bracket for applying said shelf members to and between adjacent brackets, said shelf members being provided at their inner border portion with second hooks adapted to be inserted into other predetermined slots of said tube body.

9. A display device according to claim 1, including a plurality of plate sections in the form of circle sectors, each terminating in respective outer corners, each plate section being also defined by an inner border and being adapted to be applied between two adjacent partition elements, one of the outer corners of each sector being provided with a pin having a head and being insertable into a perforation provided in a respective partition element, each sector having at its opposite outer corner a slot provided in a border flange which is connected to a respective plate section and extends essentially perpendicular to the plane of the section, said border flange with its slot being positionable between said partition element and the respective head of the pin of an adjacent plate section, each plate section being retained against tilting at its inner border between horizontal plates secured to the tube body. 

1. A rotary display device having a vertical tube body centrally carried on a wheelbase support and having upright partition elements secured thereto; the improvement comprising first holding means constituting radially directed space recesses in the surface of said base support, second holding means located near the upper end of said tube body, and attachment means disposed at predetermined angles to each other and including sleeve means structured for slidable and adjustable engagement with said tube body, said second holding means forming swingable arms each provided at the underface thereof with a profile, which is of inverted U-shape in cross section to facilitate engagement in operative position with the upper end edges of predetermined upright elements and the opposed lower end edges of said elements with said support recesses, respectively, thus ensuring firm position of said upright elements, each of said arms being swingably coupled with said sleeve means and depending from the latter in inoperative position along said tube body.
 2. A display device according to claim 1, said upright elements being perforated, substantially angular-shaped bracket means applied to perforations of said elements and arranged in face to face relation to each other, a shelf member for attachment to said bracket means, said bracket means being each provided with a horizontally extending portion for engaging said shelf member and an upright portion provided with horizontally directed tongue means extending above and parallel to said horizontal portion, said horizontal portion having an opening for the insertion of a faStener provided on said shelf member, said tongue means being arranged at an end of said upright portion of said bracket means remote from said opening and being engageable with said shelf member.
 3. A display device according to claim 2, wherein said shelf member is provided with edges having slot means insertable into said tongue means of two adjacent bracket means.
 4. A display device according to claim 2, wherein said shelf member is of the basket type, said fastener being pin means projecting from the underface of said basket means for engaging said openings of the horizontal portions of said two adjacent bracket means, respectively.
 5. A display device having a wheeled support comprising an upright post consisting of one or more sleeve elements each provided with rows of perforations, spaced apart partition means each forming an upright element provided with hook means at one end thereof and with supporting portions near the other end of said partition means, shelf means located within the space between two adjacent partition means and engaging said supporting portions, and means provided on said shelf means and engageable with predetermined perforations of one of said sleeve elements, said hook means of said upright elements being engageable with other perforations of said sleeve elements for securement thereto.
 6. A display device according to claim 5, wherein said rows of perforations of said sleeve elements are grouped around the circumference of the latter, said partition means being applicable to said sleeve elements, and separable fastening means connecting said partition means with said sleeve elements through said perforations.
 7. A display device according to claim 20, including hook means interconnecting one end of each of said elements through predetermined perforations of said post and for removal therefrom, plate sections horizontally affixed to and located between said partition elements, and supporting means connected to another end of each of said elements for locating and securing said plate sections in their horizontal positions.
 8. A display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the improvement comprises shelf members, brackets serving as partition elements and provided with first hooks which are insertable into predetermined slots provided in said tube body, said first hooks being situated at the inner end of the brackets, references supporting portions located at the outer end of each bracket for applying said shelf members to and between adjacent brackets, said shelf members being provided at their inner border portion with second hooks adapted to be inserted into other predetermined slots of said tube body.
 9. A display device according to claim 1, including a plurality of plate sections in the form of circle sectors, each terminating in respective outer corners, each plate section being also defined by an inner border and being adapted to be applied between two adjacent partition elements, one of the outer corners of each sector being provided with a pin having a head and being insertable into a perforation provided in a respective partition element, each sector having at its opposite outer corner a slot provided in a border flange which is connected to a respective plate section and extends essentially perpendicular to the plane of the section, said border flange with its slot being positionable between said partition element and the respective head of the pin of an adjacent plate section, each plate section being retained against tilting at its inner border between horizontal plates secured to the tube body. 